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Minor Fictional Characters in Days of Infamy
This article lists the various minor fictional characters who appear in the Days of Infamy series. These characters are identified by name, but play at best a peripheral role in the series. Most were simply mentioned once, or had a very brief, unimportant speaking role that did not impact the plot, and never appeared again. Andy (Days of Infamy) Andy was an American sailor who was impressed into an infantryman during the Japanese invasion of Hawaii. He was defending the north of Pearl City from a cane field along with his infantrymen, some of whom were also impressed sailors. He was wounded in the leg from a Japanese machine gun in which one of his friend, also an impressed sailor, tried to save him but was also similarly wounded. Jim Peterson saved Andy, but Andy's friend was killed when he attempted to follow them. Thus saving a bullet that was meant for Peterson. Arnie (DoI) Arnie was one of three American soldiers Fletch Armitage "dragooned" into helping him work his M101 howitzer when the Japanese invaded Hawaii in 1941. Unlike the other two soldiers, Arnie surrendered with Armitage when American forces capitulated in February, 1942. Upon arriving in the POW camp in Kapiolani Park, Arnie regretted his decision. It is unknown as to what happened to Arnie during Hawaii's occupation to its liberation by American forces. Bernie (DoI) Bernie was an American living in Hawaii in 1941. On December 7, he and his friend Sid "captured" downed pilot Jim Peterson with their nine-irons. When they realized he was American, not Japanese, they helped him find a car. Bill (DoI) Bill was a American private defending Hawaii during the Japanese invasion. Bill and his fellow private Eddie discovered their friend Wilbur's desecrated corpse by the Japanese after being taken prisoner. Terrified, Bill and Eddie did not know what to do with Wilbur's corpse and without a commanding officer to leading them, Bill founded Fletch Armitage and lead him to Wilbur. Armitage ordered Bill and Eddie to bury Wilbur in which they eagerly consented and as well being told not to mention Wilbur's death to the other soldiers, but warning them not to be taken captive by the Japanese. Bill then raised the question of the Geneva Conventions in which Armitage snapped back at his meaningless question in considering the state of Wilbur's death. Gordy Braddon (DoI, End of the Beginning) Gordon "Gordy" Braddon (d. 1943) was an American PFC and POW in a Japanese camp in Hawaii. He was in the same shooting squad as Jim Peterson. Braddon, like many POWs, died from exhaustion and starvation suffered at the hands of Japanese soldiers. Clancy (DoI) Clancy was one of three soldiers Fletch Armitage "dragooned" into helping him work his M101 howitzer when the Japanese invaded Hawaii in 1941. He and another soldier, Dave, decided against the idea of being a prisoner to the Japaneses due to their inhumane treatment towards their prisoners, and snuck off to blend back into the civilian population after American forces surrendered in February, 1942. It is unknown as to what happen to Clancy after Hawaii's occupation to its liberation in 1943. Dave (DoI) Dave was one of three American soldiers Fletch Armitage "dragooned" into helping him work his M101 howitzer when the Japanese invaded Hawaii in 1941. He and another soldier, Clancy, were against the idea of being prisoners of the Japanese due to their inhumane treatment towards their prisoners, and snuck off to blend back into the civilian population after American forces surrendered in February, 1942. It is unknown as to what happen to Dave after Hawaii's occupation to its liberation in 1943. Otis Davis (DoI) Otis Davis was a United States naval cadet from St. Louis. He shared a room in North Carolina with Joe Crosetti, Orson Sharp, and Bill Frank. His fate is unknown. Eizo Doi (DoI) Eizo Doi was a Japanese handyman living in Honolulu, Hawaii when the Empire of Japan conquered the islands in 1942. He converted Jiro Takahashi's fishing boat to a sailing vessel, and put a sail on Oscar van der Kirk's surfboard, creating the sailboard. Gordon Douglas (DoI) Gordon Douglas was a lieutenant in the United States Army. He served with Thirteenth Field Artillery Battalion (the "Lucky Thirteenth") in Hawaii alongside Fletch Armitage. When Armitage's wife left him, Douglas provided a sympathetic ear while both drank too much. During the Japanese invasion, Douglas was with his crew heading to Haleiwa but only to be bombed by Japanese aircraft in which most of his crew were killed and his fieldpiece destroyed. He suffered minor injury as he was farther away from the column and was forced to becoming an infantryman, but was very poorly experience in firsthand combat. Douglas was later imprisoned at Kapiolani Park when the Empire of Japan conquered Hawaii in 1942. There, he was reunited with Armitage and commented that he didn't expected the Japanese would made them prisoners given to their inhumane policy towards taking prisoners on the battlefield Douglas had witnessed, but acknowledged that this is a step from what the Japanese would likely do to the prisoners. Hank Drucker (DoI) Hank Drucker was a pilot in the United States Navy. He was on board the USS Enterprise when it went to Wake Island in November, 1941. Unlike Jim Peterson, Drucker saw value in the trip. Bill Frank (DoI, EotB) Bill Frank (d. 1943) was a United States naval cadet from Oakland. He shared a room in North Carolina with Joe Crosetti, Orson Sharp, and Otis Davis. He was shot down and presumed killed after the destruction of the Akagi and Shokaku during the liberation of Oahu. Mitsuo Fujikawa (DoI) Lt. Colonel Mitsuo Fujikawa was Takeo Shimizu's regimental commander. Fukumoto (DoI) Mr. Fukumoto was Oscar van der Kirk's landlord. When Japan conquered Hawaii, Fukumoto accepted fish from van der Kirk as payment of rent. Hideo Furuta (DoI) Hideo Furuta was a soldier in the Japanese army in Takeo Shimizu's squad. When on board the freighter Nagata Maru, Furuta made the mistake of suggesting that the living quarters could be worse. Shimizu ordered Furuta to bring the squad tea as punishment. Tanekichi Furuta (EotB) Tanekichi Furuta was radarman in the Imperial Japanese Navy. He served aboard the Akagi in 1943, when the the United States launched its invasion to retake Hawaii from Japan. He'd been educated at the University of California. Eddie (DoI) Eddie was a American private defending Hawaii during the Japanese invasion. Judging from his stocky, swarthy look it is implied he hails from a city slum. Eddie and his fellow private Bill horrifically discovered their friend Wilbur's desecrated corpse after being captured by the Japanese. Both Eddie and Bill were too disturbed of the state of Wilbur's death and did not know what to do with his body. Eddie stayed to look after Wilbur's body as Bill looked for a senior officer, finding Fletch Armitage. Armitage ordered Eddie and Bill to bury Wilbur in which the two eagerly consented and were told not to tell to the other soldiers of Wilbur's death, but warning them of not being captive by the Japanese. After Armitage bluntly disregard the Geneva Conventions in considering the state of Wilbur's death, Eddie asked him of what they should do if they capture any Japanese soldier. His answer from Armitage was never to ask an officer beforehand in which Eddie and Bill were enthusiastic to his approval. Mr. Hasegawa (DoI) Mr. Hasegawa was a Japanese grocer in Wahiawa, Hawaii. When Japan invaded Hawaii in December, 1941, he shared muted concerns with Jane Armitage about how the war might affect his business, knowing that once Hawaii fell, there would be no more shipments of food. A dire fact in which Jane agreed with Hasegawa's concerns. Carter Higdon (DoI) Carter Higdon was a United States Navy pilot from Mississippi. He served on board the USS Enterprise. Higdon was considered the brains of his squadron. He disagreed with Jim Peterson's contention that the fleet's trip to Wake Island was a waste of time. Junchiro Hozumi (EotB) Junchiro Hozumi was a Hiroshima radio broadcaster who specialized in propaganda. He worked with Jiro Takahashi after Takahashi fled Hawaii's liberation from Japan. Jiro (secretly) found Hozumi a poor imitation of Osami Murata, the broadcaster Jiro worked with in Hawaii. Edgar Kelly (DoI) Edgar Kelly was an American Naval flyer, ranked lieutenant. Kelly overheard Jim Peterson's reactions to the Japanese blow on the battleships at Pearl Harbor as inconsiderate in compared to the might of aircraft carriers. In response, he berated Peterson as a "coldhearted bastard" in which he pointed out that the sailors at Pearl Harbor are on those ships and are also being killed. Mitsuru Kojima (DoI) Mitsuru "Mitch" Kojima (b. 1934) was a child of Japanese ancestry living in Wahiawa, Hawaii when the Empire of Japan conquered the islands in 1941-42. He was a student in Jane Armitage's third-grade class. Like many Japanese-Americans, he had an Anglo-Saxon nickname. In the spring of 1942, Jane was working in her garden when young Mitsuru rode up on his bike. Greeting him by his nickname, Jane was rebuffed when he commanded her to use his full first name. Walter London (EotB) Walter London was an American POW in Jim Peterson's shooting squad. Unlike the other POWs, London was in seemingly good physical health as he was an operator to somehow manage to bargain his way with his fellow prisoners through acquiring commodities such as aspirins and cigarettes. Because of his seedy nature, London sought to look after himself first than anyone which making him dangerous to the POWs. As a result, London was kept constantly watched by Peterson and the other POWs. Despite the consequences his comrades would suffer, London looked for, and finally found, an opportunity to escape from his Japanese captors. Billy Joe McKennie (DoI) Billy Joe McKennie was a Army cab driver who hailed from somewhere in the deep South of the United States. He was driving supplies to the garrison at Kolekole Pass. McKennie gave Jim Peterson a ride to defend the Kolekole Pass. McKennie told Peterson of his beliefs that the Japanese Army won't be able to bypass the Waianae Mountains and that the Kolekole Pass was the only passage that the Japanese could go through. After dropping off the supplies and Peterson, McKennie later transported a squad of soldiers to the fighting. Unfortunately on the next day, McKennie's assessments was proven wrong as the Japanese were able to climb over the mountains. Vince Monahan (DoI) Vince Monahan was a United States Marine. He was part of the aborted invasion to retake Hawaii from the Empire of Japan in June, 1942. When the American fleet was returning to the mainland, Monahan resumed playing cards with Les Dillon and Dutch Wenzel to regain the betting money he had lost. Marvin Morrison (DoI) Marvin Morrison (d. 1941) was an American Naval flyer and Jim Peterson's wingman. He was noted for his squeaky tenor voice that broke when he got excited. He was shot down by Japanese Zero pilot Saburo Shindo in the opening stages of the battle for Hawaii. Akira Murakami (DoI) Akira Murakami was a first-year soldier and part of the Fifth Division led by lieutenant Osami Yonehara and corporal Takeo Shimizu. After Yonehara was killed while attempting a frontal assault on a house defended by an American machine gun, Murakami was ordered by Shimizu to "recover" back to their positions. Murakami clearly known this is retreating (but didn't outright called it) and fearfully known this act would branded them as cowards and be shot by their comrades at their positions for their retreat. He shared this to Shimizu which the corporal assured him that they tried their best and pointed out their assault on the house is ill-suitable for infantry without additional help. Murakami didn't believe Shimizu, but didn't contradict his commanding officer before realizing from the corporal that how could they be punish for in comparison to the American machine gun which had killed many of their men. Murphy (DoI) Mr. Murphy (d. 1942) was principal of an elementary school in Wahiawa, Hawaii. He remained in the city when the Japanese occupied it in December, 1941-January, 1942. Violating the rules imposed by the Japanese, Murphy kept a radio hidden until someone in the community informed on him. Murphy was publically decapitated by Major Hirabayashi. Old-man Okamoto (DoI) Okamoto was a Japanese citizen who owned a diner in Hawaii. Oscar van der Kirk and Charlie Kaapu ate in his diner in the aftermath of the Empire of Japan's attack on the American base at Pearl Harbor, and the landing of Japanese troops on Oahu. Van der Kirk wondered where Okamoto's loyalties might lie. Sid (DoI) Sid was an American living in Hawaii in 1941. On December 7, he and his friend Bernie "captured" downed pilot Jim Peterson with their nine-irons. When they realized he was American, not Japanese, they helped him find a car. Steve (DoI) Steve was an American sailor who was impressed into an infantryman during the Japanese invasion of Hawaii. He was defending the north of Pearl City from a cane field along with his infantrymen, some of whom were also impressed sailors, in which he was wounded in the chest from a Japanese machine gun. He was rescued by Jim Peterson after being dragged back into an American foxhole. Bill van der Kirk (EotB) William "Bill" van der Kirk was the father of Oscar van der Kirk. He and his wife Enid lived in Visalia, California. Enid van der Kirk (EotB) Enid van der Kirk was the mother of Oscar van der Kirk. She and her husband Bill lived in Visalia, California. Roger van der Kirk (EotB) Roger van der Kirk was the older brother of Oscar van der Kirk. He was the "responsible" son, and became the heir to the family business. Vinnie (EotB) Vinnie was a sailor aboard the American submarine Amberjack. He spoke to Oscar van der Kirk when the sub surfaced next to the surfer. Don Ward (DoI) Don Ward was an ensign in the United States Navy. He was Joe Crosetti's first instructor at the University of North Carolina, assuring the men in his group that he was their "mother". Wilbur (DoI) Wilbur (d. 1941) was a American private who was defending Hawaii during the Japanese invasion and was subsequently captured during combat. He was tortured to death in which he was repeatedly bayoneted several times and castrated - which his genitals was stuffed into his mouth - before expiring. As an sadistic add to insult, his torturers put a cardboard sign next to his head reading in crude English: "HE TAKE LONG TIME DIE". His comrades Bill and Eddie horrifically discovered his desecrated body and told Fletch Armitage about Wilbur of what they should do with his body. Armitage, disturbed, only ordered to have Wilbur buried and requesting that the descriptions of Wilbur's death is kept secret, but warning any other American soldiers of not being taken prisoner by the Japanese. Osami Yonehara (DoI) Osami Yonehara (d. 1941) was a lieutenant in the Japanese army and part of the Fifth Division along with corporal Takeo Shimizu. He arrived on Oahu on board the Nagata Maru, and led the early stages of the invasion. He was killed while attempting a frontal assault on a house defended by an American machine gun. * *Days of Infamy